Just About Brothers
by TheBlueFoxtrot A Samba
Summary: Because Ozai had to be friends with someone when he was a kid. Who could be better qualified than an almost brother?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: It's my head fanon that Ozai and Lu Ten were born on the same day. Basically, everything else is someone else's.

Also, my 100th story. Most of it is pre-written, and it's not intended to be more than four or five chapters, but ideas keep coming as I write, so I have no idea where this will go.

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><p>Prologue<p>

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><p>The day of Prince Lu Ten's birth was preceded by the birth of Prince Ozai. As second born to Fire Lord Azulon, Ozai was already nineteen years behind in a game of politics and favoritism that he wouldn't even be aware of for a few more years. As the only son of Crown Prince Iroh, Lu Ten was ever the apple of his father's eye. In later years, the two princes' destinies would greatly diverge. However, they begin together, on this, the twenty first day of the eighth month in the thirty-fifth year of Fire Lord's Azulon reign.<p>

That same day marked the end of Fire Lady Ilah's life. Her husband the Fire Lord never quite forgave the second prince for that. Or at the very least, for not having the decency to die as well.

Prince Lu Ten's mother lived until he was six years old before a sudden illness took her. In her time, she'd been mother to both her son and her husband's brother. In a way, Lu Ten was more Ozai's brother than Iroh ever could be. Once he was old enough to begin to understand such things, Iroh was everything his father wanted in a son. Ozai couldn't ever be Iroh. He would never be what his father wanted. Still, he tried.

Lu Ten was everything to his father Iroh. All he need do was breathe and Iroh was pleased with him. The day he actually began bending was the day every single person who visited that day was given a demonstration.

Lu Ten played with his father and talked to him. He was read bedtime and war stories. He was taught things and loved and listened to. Ozai saw his father from a distance, in between low bows to the floor. He gave him a report of his schooling and bending once a month then was promptly dismissed. He was mostly forgotten. Unneeded.

After all, he was only the other prince. The just-in case prince. And who ever cared about the understudy?

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><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	2. Is It Poison, Nanny?

The governess who was charged with the care of the two six year old young princes was meant to be attentive to the children's needs, wants, and safety. She was meant to be the best of the best. Though Fire Lord Azulon cared little for Prince Ozai, Prince Lu Ten seemed fond of him so the woman was hand-picked by one of his advisors.

Minister Yinren was a grandfather and a retired general. His days were spent in between the court, his posh home, and the home of his son and grandchildren. When he'd been a young man, he'd found the squalling whelp that was his son to be quite the nuisance. All it did was cry, eat, sleep, and…excrete. It made him _want _to go to war. Now, in his declining years, four year old grandson seemed to say the most amusing things and the baby that could be either boy or girl for all he knew liked nothing better than to sit in his lap and play with his beard. And he let it. It would appear that he was going addled in his old age.

And so it was that Minister Yinren was appointed to find appropriate nanny for the boys. Several highly qualified women applied. For the most part, elderly women were turned away at the door. There was no point in hiring women who were liable to drop dead at any given moment. However, there was one very insistent woman who had outright _demanded_ to be let in and was actually _escorted_ by two Imperial Firebenders.

Fully prepared to have her escorted right back out, Madam Hennan was ahead of him. The white-headed woman whipped out several letters of recommendation and credentials, thrust them at the nearest guard, and ordered him in a no-nonsense tone to give it to the minister. He watched as a military trained, hardened firebender of his majesty's elite cowed under glare of the wrinkled old dame and marched the documents to his waiting hand. He made it halfway down the _first page_ before he set it aside and asked a series of questions.

She'd been tutoring children for nearly fifty years, never married, and her father and brothers were veterans or killed in action. She was a patriot and had no distractions to her duty in the care and learning of the children. Her discipline was strict and conventional, and she brooked no foolishness.

She was hired.

The Princes Lu Ten and Ozai were informed that this woman would be in charge of taking care of them and that they were to listen to her. They thought that she was a bitter, ugly, old spinster. They thought she needed to get a life. They thought she was crazy, should get a cat, and _go away._

They were right.

For all of the seven years she tutored them, the boys developed a skill with skulking through the palace halls, finding loop holes in direct orders, and how to be real nuisances. They learned how to develop strategies and reconnaissance

Madam Hannen wouldn't appreciate a good prank if it bit her on the derriere. They knew. One had, in fact, done so. She most definitely didn't appreciate it.

She was a vengeful, sadistic old lady. Leave it at that.

Also during that time, they learned proper court speak, politics, history, health, calligraphy, geography, literature, science, mechanics, and math. As far as health, they could have done without the extensive information of what happens to a woman when she gets old. They would never, ever steal her dentures ever again. Ever. They were taught everything they would need to know about the society they would one day navigate. Backhanded compliments became an art form. And they just knew, that crazy woman pulled algebra out of the air, just to mess with them. Letters _and _numbers? Yeah, right. Their hands would cramp from the amount of calligraphy they wrote, but at least they had the penmanship of a scribe when it was all said and done.

Despite how little they liked the woman, they had to admit, if only to themselves. Madam Hannen was one smart, old bird.

That didn't mean they didn't hate her though.

But that was okay. Because they were pretty sure she hated them too.

They were very proud of that.


	3. When He Grows Up

I have decided (rather abruptly) that this will (probably) come to be a divergent fic.

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><p>Iroh was his brother by birth alone. In the sense that mattered, Lu Ten was the brother of his heart. Lu Ten was the one who helped him put the badgerfrogs in Nanny's desk. He was the one who listened to all of his ideas to 'take over the world'. He was the one who was there when no one else was. Together, the two young princes got in and out of so much trouble together.<p>

They were brothers in arms.

To Ozai, Iroh was just Lu Ten's dad. He held no affection for his older brother, neither did he hate him. He was as neutral to his presence as his father Azulon was to his. The only thing Ozai liked Iroh for was to teach him the Firebending techniques he'd mastered when he came home from his war tours. Otherwise, he didn't care. Sometimes, his brother would tell him and Lu Ten interesting stories, but mostly, he just went on about tea and women. Ozai, at ten, didn't particularly care for either.

Though Ozai could admit some jealousy, if only to himself, in regards to the relationship Lu Ten and Iroh shared. Just this morning, Iroh had come home. Lu Ten had immediately abandoned their game of Fire Tag and ran for his 'Daddy' with a flying tackle. Ozai couldn't imagine himself making such a display, _especially_ in front of his father. He could practically see the disapproving glare and hear the lecture for such 'undignified exuberance'. If anything, he'd run _away_ from his father. Young as he was, he knew that there was something not quite right with that.

If he let himself, Ozai could probably hate Lu Ten. Not only was his dad not completely terrifying, he was going to get the throne. That is, if Father ever decided to die; Azulon had always been old, as far as Ozai was concerned. It was a long way off, but it was his sure thing.

It wasn't fair that Lu Ten was going to get to be boss. Ozai was older than him by a whole _day_.

However, Lu Ten was his best friend; perhaps his only one. That Zhao kid from the academy was more like a willing stooge. If Ozai were to be Firelord, then both Iroh and Lu Ten would have to be removed. He didn't care so much about Iroh though. Lu Ten really had his heart set on telling everyone what to do when he grew up so he probably wouldn't just let Ozai have the crown either.

He could always challenge Lu Ten to an Agni Kai, but whether he won or loss, Lu Ten would probably never speak to him again. Then he'd be stuck with just Zhao.

If being Firelord meant not having Lu Ten, Ozai would stick to just being a prince.

Soon enough, all of his scheming ideas stopped coming. An idea would rear its head, but he'd push it away. After a while, Ozai simply didn't care. He was a prince of the greatest nation ever; his life was good. Besides, his father looked like death warmed over. He could actually think of better things to do with his life than rule the world.

For instance, becoming the greatest Firebender in the world ever would give him glory, power, _and_ he'd never have to go to any of those long, boring war meetings like his father.

He was such a genius. For a ten-year-old, at least.

Lu Ten elbowed him. "Why are you smiling?"

"I do that occasionally."

"Yeah. Right before you do something terrible to someone. It's not me, is it?"

Ozai grinned wider. "You? Lu Ten! You're my best friend. Why would I _ever_ want to do something terrible to you?"

"It _is_ me! What are you gonna do?"

Ozai gave him a smug laugh.

"Unless…" Lu Ten's eyes widened, realization and horror dawning. "You already did it! It was the cake, wasn't it?"

Ozai didn't say anything, and Lu Ten took his silence as confirmation.

"I _knew_ that tasted weird. You monster!"

Lu Ten shot off, running to who knows where. Ozai peered out into the hall to see him collide with Lord Jinzo. The other boy clutched the man's robe and yelled,

"The cake is a lie!"

He ran off as quick as that, leaving the confused noble stunned. The man caught Ozai's look.

"Yes, that was the one who's going to be Firelord someday. Don't worry though. You'll be dead by then."


End file.
